Aseptic filling of beverages

GEA Group launched the latest generation of aseptic filling technology: the Fillstar CX EVO. This multi-functional system provides beverage industry customers with the capacity to seamlessly switch between different types of products, from carbonated to still aseptic beverages and vice-versa, with a capacity of as many as 54,000 bottles an hour, the company says. Additionally, the new system eliminates changeover times through an integrated control unit that simply requires reprogramming. The changeover from contact filling to non-contact filling also is fully automated. Designed for a wide range of applications, the Fillstar CX EVO can handle high- and low-acid beverages, as well as aseptic soft drinks with varying carbonation levels, while ensuring complete sterility. The machine also can fill products with fibers as long as 2 mm and with diameters of 3 mm. When integrated with an aseptic piston doser, it can fill fruit pieces with a volume as large as 10-by-10-by-10 mm. Bottle sizes and shapes also can be easily changed, it adds.
GEA Group
Peter–Müller-Str. 12
40468 Düsseldorf, Germany
+011/49-211-9136-1503
gea.com

Cross-docking precision

Crown Equipment Corp. unveiled a new, shorter mast option for certain models of its counterbalance forklifts that are used in cross-docking applications. The new two-stage TL mast, commonly referred to as a “Truckers Mast,” is an option for the four-wheel Crown FC 5200 Series counterbalance forklifts as well as the pneumatic and cushion tire models of the Crown C-5 Series industrial forklifts. It is ideal for use in warehouse dock work and cross-docking applications where a shorter mast enables the forklift to quickly and easily remove and place loads in truck trailers, it says. The mast is available in lift heights of 68, 76, 80, 82 and 112 inches, with no change in the maximum load capacities of the Crown FC 5200 and Crown C-5 Series forklifts, which support load capacities ranging from 4,000 to 6,500 pounds. The mast’s slimmer cross-brace also helps improve visibility, further enhancing safety.
Crown Equipment Corp.
44 S. Washington St.
New Bremen, Ohio 45869
419/629-2311
crown.com

Testing possibilities

Charles Ross & Son Co. announced that its new 4-gallon Planetary Dual Disperser, Model PDDM-4, is available for no-charge demonstrations in the Ross Test & Development (T&D) Center. The advanced planetary mixer is equipped with two high-viscosity blades and two high-speed dispersers; all four agitators rotate on their own axes while orbiting the vessel, ensuring rapid powder wet-out and de-agglomeration. It is designed for vacuum operation and includes a jacketed mix vessel. Ideal for mixing thick slurries and highly filled pastes, the PDDM-4 delivers excellent dispersion and uniformity throughout a wide viscosity range of as many as 2 million centipoise. The PDDM-4 is one of more than 40 mixers and blenders showcased at the Ross T&D Center, which is designed to help customers identify the best possible equipment for each application using the end-user’s raw materials. Proof-of-concept demonstrations include high-shear emulsification, particle size reduction, dry blending, vacuum drying, high-viscosity mixing and three roll milling, the company says.
Charles Ross & Son Co.
710 Old Willets Path
Hauppauge, N.Y. 11788
800/243-7677
mixers.com

Making the perfect cap

Sacmi announced the release of a new 64-cavity CCM64MB press for manufacturing plastic and metal caps for water and carbonated soft drinks (CSDs). The compression molding machine enables two differently designed caps to be produced using standard dies and dies equipped with the Sacmi COOL+ circuit. Designed to handle as many as 1,600 caps a minute with 64 cavities, the CCM64MB has a cycle time of 2.4 seconds and can manufacture caps with diameters as large as 52 mm. Due to Sacmi’s compression technology, the machine enables caps with different designs and for different products, e.g., a cap for water and one for a CSD, to be produced using the same die because the thickness of the upper cap section can be independently set through the operator interface. Efficient and flexible, the CCM64MB features an ability to cover the entire cap range with a wide variety of available designs, the capacity to make two differently designed caps with one die, and compression technology designed to develop the lightest, best-performing caps on the market, it says.
Sacmi
Via Selice Prov.le 17/a, 40026
Imola BO Italy
+011/39-0542-607-111
sacmi.com

Do the wave

Designed for liquid and solid applications, Krohne Inc. added six new 24- and 80-GHz transmitters for its Optiwave series of frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar-level transmitters. Each device has a particular application target area, including agitated and corrosive liquids, narrow tanks with internal obstructions, or powders and dusty atmospheres, the company says. The devices feature an extensive choice of process connections, starting from three-quarters of an inch, along with a large backlit LCD display with a four-button keypad, a quick setup assistant for easy commissioning, and they are equipped with a free PACTware device manager to improve functionality. The Optiwave 3500 with an 80-GHz FMCW transmitter is ideal for hygienic liquid applications in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets, while new devices for solids include the Optiwave 6400, a 24-GHz FMCW transmitter that works with granulates and rocks. The new line of 24- and 80-GHz transmitters complement the two existing 6- and 10-GHz devices used with the Optiwave series, it says.
Krohne Inc.
7 Dearborn Road
Peabody, Mass. 01960
800/356-9464
krohne.com

Safety first

Kenworth Truck Co. announced that Kenworth T270 and T370 medium-duty trucks now can be outfitted with the Bendix Wingman Fusion advanced driver assistance system, which includes such safety technologies as radar, a camera, a foundation brake system and SafetyDirect by Bendix CVS. Built on the Bendix electronic stability program, Wingman Fusion offers enhanced collision mitigation, lane departure warning, stationary vehicle braking, and increased speed-limit alert and action. This combination typically enables the system to assess a situation faster and react earlier, alerting the driver and decreasing the vehicle’s speed by as much as twice that of the Bendix Wingman Advanced, while also reducing instances of false alerts and false interventions. Kenworth began offering the Bendix Wingman Fusion as an option for the Kenworth T680 and T880 two years ago, and it has been a popular option in the Class 8 truck market, the company says.
Kenworth Truck Co.
10630 NE 38th Place
Kirkland, Wash. 98033
425/828-5000
kenworth.com

The latest in lamination technology

Comexi introduced its newest lamination machine: the Comexi ML2. The ergonomic design maximizes production and combines versatility and high productivity, the company says. The top-range laminator can work with solvent-based, water-based or solvent-free adhesives, which provides a wide range of lamination and coating options, including cold-seal, heat-seal, ink or varnish. The laminator accommodates materials as large as 60.2-inches wide at a top speed of 450 meters a minute while facilitating fast changeovers and minimum waste. The Comexi ML2 is equipped with five easily interchangeable technological trolleys: gravure with open chamber, gravure closed chamber, solvent-less, flexo GL and semi-flexo. Customers also can configure the drying tunnel at 6 or 9 meters with two or three independent zones, it says. Other features include a high-precision register control system, a motorized linear web guide and a Quick Front-Reverse Reading system that facilitates job adjustments with maximum agility and speed, it adds.
Comexi
Avinguda Mas Pins, 135 E-17457 Riudellots de la Selva
Girona. Spain
+011/34-972-477-744
comexi.com